Solenoid operated positive clutch



WERNER M. LowENsTElN 2691436 Now BY CHANGE oF NAME WARREN M. LowRY SOLENOID OPERATED POSITIVE CLUTCH -Fled vMarch 3, 1950 Oct. l2, 1954 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 12, 1954 2,691,436 SOLENOID OPERATED POSITIVE CLUTCH Werner M. Lowenstein, New York, N. Y.; now by change of name Warren M. Lowry Application March 3, 1950, Serial No. 147,358

1 Claim. l

This invention relates to the remote control of uid control valves, such as valves in a fuel line leading to an oil truck filling station in a yard. It requires the cooperation of an automatic control or a person in control in the yard oice with the driver of the truck to operate the iiuid dispensing valve, assuring that only the authorized volume of fluid can pass the valve.

According to the present invention, the valveoperating handle is normally disengaged from the valve-operating shaft so that positioning this handle in its operative position by the driver of the truck or another unauthorized person will not cause rotation of the valve-operating shaft and opening of the fluid-control valve. A signal from the oiiice is required to engage the handle to the valve-operating shaft so that fluid can be dispensed by operation of the shaft. Discontinuance of the signal will cause the shaft to become disengaged, stopping the flow of fluid.

Since the rate of fluid flow is known, the time interval elapsed between opening and closing of the valve is a measure of the amount of fluid traversing the valve during the loading operation.

It is a further feature of the present invention that the cooperation required from the office can be supplied by an automatic switching mechanism. If it is desired to dispense a predetermined amount, the switching mechanism is preset to close the valve after the specified time interval.

It is an advantage of the present invention that the iiuid flow can be controlled independently of the operator in a simple and effective manner. A further advantage is that this control can be effected automatically.

Other advantages will become apparent in conjunction with the following specification and drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a valve control mechanism according to this invention with the valve-operating shaft disengaged from the handle;

Fig. 2 is a side view, partly in section, of the valve control mechanism shown in Fig. 1 with the valve-operating shaft engaged to the handle; and

Fig. 3 is a front View of the valve control mechanism, showing the handle in its valveopening and valve-closing positions.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the valve control mechanism is contained in a valve housing I, provided with a cover 2, which cover is connected to the housing by threading at 3. The housing I is provided with the operating handle I3 and with guiding apertures 5 for locking pins li, which are screwed to a support 6, carried by the solenoid core 'i of solenoid 8. Screws IIJ connect the solenoid to the housing I'. The valve-operating shaft S is provided with a locking plate II, having tapered apertures yI2,-aligned with the apertures 5 in the housing Il in their normal positions.

The solenoid -B is supplied with current through wires I A and I5 from power supply I6. The switch Il is preferably located at the control station, for instance in the yard oiiice. This switch is either manually operated and the time interval between closing and opening of the switch is noted or an automatic switching mechanism` is provided. The automatic switching mechanism may be controlled by punched cards, the position of the hole or holes in the card depending on the amount of fluid it is intended to dispense so that the card will cause the switch i 'I to open after a predetermined interval of time corresponding to the amount of fluid.

It will be seen that if the locking pins are in the position shown in Fig. 1, rotation of handle I3 will cause rotation of the housing assembly containing the solenoid 8 and the locking pins `l around the cylindrical extension I8 of the locking plate II. rThe annular shoulder, formed by the disc I3 which is held in place by the screw 20, provides an abutment for the rotating housing l. The spring 2| forces the solenoid core 'l away from the housing I, thereby maintaining locking pins 4 in their disengaged position which is illustrated in Fig. 1.

If the switch i1 is closed and current is supplied to the solenoid wires I 4 and I5, the core 'I will move downwards, compressing spring 2I, until the stop 22 of the core rests on the solenoid casing. The support 6, carrying locking pins 4, will move with the core 'I towards the housing I, thereby engaging looking pins 4 in apertures I2 of the locking plate II.

In Fig. 3 is shown the mounting of the locking device on the housing 23 of the valve. Ports 24 for the entry and exit of the uid into and out of the pipe housing 23 are provided. The cover 2 of the valve actuating mechanism is shown mounted on the valve housing 23. It carries the valve actuating handle, illustrated in position 13, when the valve is closed, and in position 13A, when the valve is open.

In operation, when it is intended to dispense a predetermined amount of fluid, the truck to be filled will be moved in position, the switch I1 in the yard office will be closed either manually or by an automatic device and the equipment will be ready for operation. If handle I3 is now rotated, the pins 4 will transmit the rotating movement to the locking plate II to which the valve operating shaft 9 is connected so that fluid will start to flow.

The valve operating shaft is spring loaded, not shown, to assume a position in which the valve is closed. Hence, the valve will be closed in its normal position, and will be opened only if the valve operating shaft is engaged to the handle by means of the locking pins 4 and the handle is rotated to its operative position. This can be accomplished only if the locking pins 4 are in their engaging position, as shown in Fig. 2, and the handle I3 has been rotated to open the valve. Either rotation of the handle to the closing position or release of the locking member Il from the locking pins 4, by opening of the switch I1', will thus operate to close the valve, shutting oi the uid flow.

When the predetermined amount of uid has been dispensed, the operator will return the handle I3 to the closing position. However, to prevent excess ow of iiuid in case the operator omits to return the handle I3, the switch I'I will be opened, releasing the core 'I and thereby retracting locking pins I2 from locking plate Il. This will assure that only the intended volume of fluid has been permitted to pass through the valve.

By controlling the instant of fluid admission through the valve and the instant of termination of fluid ilow, the time interval during which the iiuid has been dispensed can be controlled. Since the rate of flow of the fluid is known, the amount of fluid passing the valve each time it is opened and subsequently closed is thus available and controllable from the cnice, permitting a close check on the dispensing operation. If an automatic control is provided for the switch Il', the control is preset for the volume it is intended to dispense so that the valve will close after the desired volume has passed therethrough.

The structural details shown and described may vary within wide limits without deviating from the spirit of the present invention, and it is desired that the appended claims be construed in their broadest sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

A locking device comprising a disc member having tapered apertures therein secured to a shaft adapted to be rotated, a housing member having a flat bottom with a handle thereon disposed adjacent said disc member in face to face relationship, said housing having a plurality of pin receiving apertures in its base superimposeble over said tapered apertures of said disc member, a plurality of solenoid pins disposed in said housing apertures for reciprocal movement into 4and out of said disc member apertures, a support member fixed to said pins, a spring for urging said support member continuously away from said disc member, a solenoid having a movable core secured to said support member, and electrical means for energizing said solenoid, whereby movement of said solenoid core downward compresses said spring and effects insertion of said solenoid pins into said disc apertures, thereby locking said handle containing housing member to Said shaft.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 495,574 Anderson Apr. 18, 1893 1,162,935 Lange Dec. 7, 1915 1,455,491 Huet May 15, 1923 1,916,225 Kauiman et al. July 4, 1933 2,070,813 Stearns et al Feb. 16, 1937 2,352,140 Trott June 20, 1944 2,382,765 Zahodiakin Aug. 14, 1945 .4.3, 2,382,766 zahodiakin Aug. 14, 1945 2,389,461 Satterlee NOV. 20, 1945 2,452,264 Russell Oct. 26, 1948 2,560,897 Schmohl July 17, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 4J Number Country Date 659,890 Germany May 12, 1938 

